# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1911_S317
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 103 —

We recommend changing our fiscal year so that it closes on July 1 (so
that we need not take inventory and do whatever else is connected with
the accounting during our busy season), and the repeal of all
resolutions and orders that conflict with this recommendation.

Over the years, decisions concerning the free distribution of books
and periodicals have been made, partly by the Reverend Synod and
partly by us, that are on the one hand often not decisions and rulings
made according to any principle but rather quite arbitrary, and on the
other hand violate existing postal laws, so that in certain cases we
must act contrary either to the Synod's regulations or to the postal
laws.

We therefore recommend that a new systematic regulation be introduced
governing all free distributions, and that a committee be appointed by
the Reverend General *Präses* [president] to draft and establish this
regulation, consisting of, say, a pastor emeritus, a teacher emeritus,
a college professor, a representative of an orphanage, hospital, or
similar institution, and two active and disinterested businessmen, and
that the Board of Directors have a seat and a vote on this committee
through a representative. The members of this committee should (with
the possible exception of the Board's representative) live as close
together as possible, since two or even more meetings will probably be
necessary. Six to eight weeks before its first meeting, the committee
should, say, invite proposals through a notice in the *Lutheraner*,
and should have taken definitive action well before January 1, 1912.

Should changes to our *Lutheraner* come up for consideration at the
suggestion of a conference or a synodical district, we recommend that
the Reverend Synod elect or have appointed a committee of five or
seven, which shall carefully examine all relevant recommendations from
conferences, districts, or private individuals and shall finally have
the right to decide all relevant questions, so that this committee's
final decision shall carry for us the same authority as a resolution
of the Synod itself.

This committee should include, say, the current editor of the
*Lutheraner*, the Concordia Publishing House, represented by one man,
and three, respectively five, men from the Synod who represent as
varied interests as possible in this regard, but who live as close
together as possible in order to avoid expenses for the meeting or
meetings, which, like those of the previous committee, are to be paid
out of the synodical treasury.

Attached to this memorial follows a treasurer's report covering the
past triennium.

The Board of Directors of the Concordia Publishing House:

Chas. Schröter, President.
J. J. Bernthal, Secretary.